The Past Is Never Left Behind
by icydroplets
Summary: Lindsay's past comes back to haunt her, and it's up to the team to help her out. Eventual DL. Final chapter added June 5.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! This is my first fic and I was very nervous to post it, but thanks to all my amazing friends at the D/L board, I have decided to post it on finally! I would love to hear everyone's thoughts :)

**Summary**: Lindsay's past comes back to haunt her and it's up to the team to help. (Eventual D/L)

**Rating**: PG+

**Spoilers**: Up until just before "Run Silent, Run Deep"

**Disclaimer**: All belong to CBS, except for a couple characters, who are all my own.

**Chapter 1**

_Bloomington, Indiana_

She was young and loved to live life to the fullest- and tonight was no exception. Tomorrow she was gone, and tonight was all about fun.

The music was loud and the crowd was large, like any typical bar. She and her friends danced and sang along to their favourite songs. She made sure she brought her camera, to take many random pictures of her night.

"I'm going to miss you so much!" her best friend yelled, making their way to the bar.

"Don't worry; I won't forget you while I'm jetting around Europe!" She replied, laughing. The drinks were really starting to get to her and she was feeling a buzz.

"Well here's to you and your European adventure," her friend said, raising her glass," Be safe and don't do anything-or anyone- I wouldn't do!" she laughed.

"This coming from the girl who picked up at the bar last week!"

"Hey, he was perfectly normal while we were there. Besides, you're more responsible then I am, so I can trust you not to make the same mistake…hopefully." She added, as they both burst out laughing.

It was another hour before she knew she had to go home. She was thankful her flight was late the next afternoon. She hadn't planned on drinking that much, but, as the saying goes, 'When in Rome…' They shared a cab home, with her getting out first.

"I'll call you in a few weeks, ok? Make sure you sleep this off tomorrow, ok?" She said with a laugh, slightly slurring her words

"I will babe, and make sure you remember. I can't believe you are going to be away from a phone for that long. But call me as soon as you get near one! You know I won't stop worrying until I know you are safe and surrounded by hunky boys, ok?"

"I will, now go home! I love ya!"

She shut the cab door, and waved goodbye. Amazed she could still walk relatively straight in her heels, she walked into her apartment building.

After struggling with her key, she managed to get into her apartment. She threw her keys and purse on her table. She hastily threw her shoes off, leaving them where they dropped. Her face was burning, so she headed towards the bathroom. She left the light off, and bent down to wash her face.

When she looked in the mirror, she realized she was not alone.

It all happened so fast. Before she could get a scream out, he covered her mouth with his hand. His other arm went around her waist. She began flailing her legs around, pushing back against him. He hadn't been expecting this, and flew back against the door, trying to maintain his grip on her. She managed to push him back again, and he lost his balance, bringing her down with him. Momentarily loosing his grip, she knew this would be her only opportunity. She scrambled to her feet and ran into the hall. The effects of the alcohol still present and the sheer shock of the situation caused her to tumble into the wall. She began running down the hall, but he was too quick. He had crawled out of the bathroom and grabbed her ankle. She fell hard.

He managed to pin her arms behind her. She began to scream, but was quickly silenced with a rag, packed full of chloroform. She was out in seconds.

Pleased with the silence that now filled the apartment, he went to his plan. He tied up her legs, and then put her in a trunk that he had added air holes to earlier. He made sure it was closed securely, and propped it on the dolly he would use to transport it. On his way out, he made sure to grab her purse, and hid it in his jacket. He knew its contents would come in handy.

He put the trunk in the back of his van. After entering the front seat, he adjusted his mirror, so he had a perfect view of the back. And then he was off.

Almost 12 hours later, he entered New York City.

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It was the start of another shift for Danny Messer and his fellow CSI's. Danny was with Flack, where a body was found in an alley. He was stabbed in the chest, and had bled out. There was no blood pool to be found, which was odd to say the least. It was a lousy neighbourhood, so he had probably been dead for more then a day.

"A man lies dead, and no one knows anything about it. Stuff like this happens way too much around here." Danny was frustrated to say the least. No witnesses had come forward, and the person who called it in was no where to be found.

"Yeah, well not everyone shares our sense of "what's right and what's wrong" around here." Flack replied. "I've tried to question a dozen people, no one knows a thing."

"Typical," Danny muttered. "Any idea who this guy is?"

"No I.D., but I did find this," Flack held up his gloved hand, where he held a hotel room key card. "Says Beatrice Hotel. Luckily there's only one in the city. Called the hotel, found the room was registered to a Larry Silverton. Checked in two days ago, from Chicago."

"The windy city," said Hawkes, who just arrived at the scene. "I've always wanted to go there."

"After we solve this, we'll book the tickets." joked Danny.

Hawkes laughed, "Well then let's get started."

They processed the scene and the body. With minimal evidence found, they had to wonder if this was their primary crime scene, or if Mr. Silverton had been murdered somewhere else.

"He appears to have bled to death," said Hawkes. "But there's barely any blood here."

"Dump job," Danny thought out loud.

Hawkes took the evidence back to the lab to start processing, while Danny and Flack went to the hotel. Soon they were outside the door, which had a "Do Not Disturb" sign on it. After knocking a few times, the manager opened the door, and then stepped aside. Guns drawn, they headed into the room.

It was like any other hotel room. The curtains were drawn and the room was dark. After clearing the room, Danny opened the curtains.

"I see nothing too out of the ordinary." Flack said, scanning the room. He headed into the bathroom.

Danny looked around. It was clean, the beds were made. It was as if no one had ever slept here. He knew that there would be hundreds of prints in the room, most useless. He took out his kit, and searched for anything that might be useful.

After finding a few fibres, which would probably lead to nothing, he opened a drawer by the TV and noticed an envelope. He put on his gloves and opened it to see the contents.

Pictures fell out. Only they weren't of their dead body.

"What the hell?"

"What is it?" Flack asked.

Danny said nothing, instead spreading the pictures out on the table. Flack came out and looked down.

The look on their faces said it all. In front of them laid many candid shots of someone they both knew.

Lindsay Monroe.

**A/N:** Reviews would be lovely, and I appreciate any feedback. I have all the chapters but the last one finished, so I plan to have one up a day (I can't promise this weekend though, I am super, super busy :P So the next one will probably be up Sunday night or Monday).


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the reviews guys! I've decided to post a few chapters today and then more tomorrow. :) I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on each!

**A/N:** This chapter hasn't been edited by anyone but me, so any mistakes are all mine.

**Disclaimer**: Not mine, except for a couple charachters

* * *

**Chapter 2**

His first reaction was to call her. He had no idea if she was on a case or not, but he needed her to get to a safe place.

Her phone went straight to voice mail. "Dammit!" Danny thought. She must have been on the phone, since she was on duty and it wouldn't be turned off.

"It's Danny. Listen, I don't know where you are, but get back to the lab. And don't go alone. I'll explain when I get there."

He flipped his phone shut. He knew he should have told her why, but it's not the easiest thing to tell someone that they're apparently being stalked by a murder suspect, especially over the phone.

Flack closed his phone, after calling Mac.

"Mac says to bring anything we've found back to the lab. He wants to see this for himself. Did you get a hold of her?"

"Nah, voice mail. Told her to get to the lab." Danny looked at the photos again. He noticed a picture of her with him at a crime scene from the week before. This guy had been at it for some time.

"Who the hell is this guy?" He wondered out loud, anger residing in his voice.

* * *

Lindsay was at her desk, finishing up her report from her last case. It had been a big one, so she was getting frustrated. Paperwork had never been her favourite task, and this was taking forever to get done. 

Stretching her hands above her head, she looked down at her bag, and saw her phone blinking. "Crap," she thought. She had forgotten to turn the ringer on.

She saw she had two messages. The first was from Danny, and was very cryptic. Confused, she listened to the second. It was from Mac, and equally as confusing. He told her to get to his office as soon as she got it.

Annoyed that she was so in the dark, she got up and headed out.

* * *

Mac looked at the photos on the table in front of him. Danny and Flack had come back to the lab quickly. Danny explained the case to him, and the findings they had made. Hawkes was still processing from the scene earlier, and was going to report to them as soon as he found anything. 

"This is serious; some of these are very personal shots." Mac said, noticing shots of Lindsay in the market, and entering her building.

"It was as if he wanted us to find these," said Danny. "They were the only thing in the room. No luggage, nothing."

They all looked up as Lindsay knocked on the door. She saw the looks on their faces and began to get worried.

"Sorry, I just got your messages," she said slowly. "What's going on?"

"Lindsay, we've got something you need to see." said Mac.

He gathered up the photos and handed them to her. She began to flip through them, her eyes widening in shock.

"Where did you get these?" she asked.

"In a hotel room." replied Danny. He couldn't help but feel worried for her, especially after seeing her reaction to the photos. "Does the name Larry Silverton mean anything to you?"

"Never heard of him." Lindsay replied. "This is crazy…"

Obviously shocked by the photos, Lindsay was getting worried. There was a nagging voice in the back of her head, telling her this is the time to tell them, tell them about what had happened in her past. She had a pretty good idea of who could be taking these pictures, but how could she tell them?

They all watched her mentally fighting with herself. It was Danny that was the first to speak.

"Do you know who might be doing this?" he asked lightly. She was thinking something and Danny wanted to know what it was.

"I…uhh…I think…but it couldn't be."

"Couldn't be what, Lindsay?" Mac said, firmly, but still gently. This couldn't be easy, and he knew Lindsay was strong, but he was worried. "If there is anything you can say, it could help. You know this."

Before she could answer, there was a knock at the door. A lab tech, who look relatively annoyed, entered the room.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I was given this package to give Detective Monroe. It's labelled urgent."

"Does it have a return address?" Mac asked.

"Nope," she replied, bringing it over to the desk. She put it down, and then headed out. Dropping off mail hadn't been in her job description and she obviously wasn't pleased.

Mac frowned. Getting an un-addressed package when you were being followed was not a good sign. Putting on a pair of gloves, he studied the package. It could be nothing, but he wasn't taking any chances. He pulled out a letter opener and opened the package slowly. Inside was box. Lifting the top, they all peered inside. It was a videotape.

Everyone looked up at Lindsay. It could've been nothing, but she knew they couldn't take the chance. She put on a pair of gloves, and took it from Mac.

"Do you want to watch it alone first?" Mac asked.

"No, I mean if it's anything, we'll all have to see it eventually." she laughed lightly, trying to lighten the mood. It was more out of nerves then anything.

They all headed out wordlessly to the AV lab. Once inside, Lindsay placed the tape in, and hit play.

The screen was blank at first. Then suddenly a grey, concrete wall appeared. And next came the voice, one that Lindsay had thought she would never have to hear again.

"Well hello Lindsay. It's been too long."

Lindsay shuddered. Danny, who had been standing behind her, noticed this. He instinctively moved closer to her.

"By now, you know that I've been watching you. I've been keeping an eye on the hotel, waiting to see when your little friends would come. I left the pictures there just for you. You're probably wondering why? Well, it's simple Lindsay. I've come back for you. But I'm not alone…"

The camera moved across the room, and fell upon a young woman in a chair, who was unconscious. Lindsay suddenly inhaled a sharp breath.

"Natalie." She whispered.

"I knew you would be too hard to get to. So I decided to get her first. I know that as long as she's with me, you'll be vulnerable. I know you- I know your weaknesses. And she is one of them."

"I'll leave you to think. I know this is quite a lot that's been thrown at you. But you'll be hearing from me again. Soon."

The tape went blank. They all sat there in silence. Lindsay was the first to speak.

"She's my sister. She's supposed to be in Europe right now. I should've known…she was supposed to be backpacking, away from a phone. I…"

"You had no idea," Danny interrupted. "It's not your fault."

"Lindsay, who was the man in the tape?" Mac asked.

"Jake Hilpton." She replied. It had been so long since she had said that name. "He escaped from jail about 8 months ago."

When she came to New York, Danny thought. Could it have been a coincidence? And what did he have to do with Lindsay?

Mac could tell she didn't want to go into any details just yet. After just finding out that her sister had been kidnapped, it was understandable. But they had to know what they were dealing with.

"Lindsay, how is he connected to you?"

Lindsay knew that this time was coming. She had hoped it never would, but deep down, she knew it was something that couldn't be hidden forever.

"It was our testimonies that put him in jail. More mine then hers, since she was so young when it happened." She paused, keeping her eyes focused on the computer screen behind everyone, her mind going back to that day.

"When what happened?" Danny asked quietly. He hated seeing her seem so vulnerable.

"When he killed my parents."

* * *

Any feedback would be lovely :D 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Again, all mistakes are mine. And I hope the characters aren't too out-of-character...

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, except for a couple characters.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

She had only been 13 when it happened. But she could remember it like it was yesterday. He had been their friend, someone her family trusted. How could they have been so wrong about him?

She and Natalie had been upstairs in their rooms. There was suddenly a loud noise from the kitchen, followed by yelling. Lindsay had left her room, and ran into her sister in the hall. She placed her finger to her lips, and Natalie silently nodded.

She could hear her parents arguing, but was it with each other? No, there was a third voice. She couldn't make out what it was about, but she knew not to go downstairs. Her parents rarely raised their voices, so she was scared, to say the least.

But it was what she heard next that would forever stay in her mind.

"Don't move any closer, Tom, I'm warning you!" Shouted Jake to Lindsay's father.

"Just put it down, we'll do what you want, we promise." Tom was desperately trying to reason with him.

Hannah, her mother, was crying, babbling phrases like "Don't hurt us …please …why …why are you doing this?"

"You don't get it do you? Of course not, why would you? You, and your perfect lives. I've watched you for years. Everything comes so easy for you. You and your precious little girls."

"Don't bring them into this Jake." Tom said forcefully.

"It's too late Tom, it's too damn late."

A loud bang filled the air. Lindsay and Natalie both jumped. Natalie began screaming, but Lindsay quickly covered her mouth with her hand. They could hear their mother screaming. Another shot filled the air shortly after, followed by a few more after that.

The house was now silent. The only sound to be heard was Natalie's whimpers beside Lindsay.

"I told you." Jake said calmly.

Lindsay heard the screen door to their kitchen slam shut. She made no move. She was too scared. She was scared he was still there, scared what she might see. So she sat there, holding her sister, for what seemed like an eternity.

* * *

Lindsay quickly filled her co-workers in on why Jake was in prison. She left out some of the details, knowing that as soon as his case file was read, it would all be out anyway. But she didn't care. She just couldn't bear to say it out loud. Not yet.

They all stood in silence. Danny couldn't believe what he had just heard. He had no idea that she had gone through anything like that. He was full of anger and sadness. Knowing that this son of a bitch was out there now, watching Lindsay, was the worst part.

Lindsay watched the reactions of her co-workers. This was the reason she hadn't mentioned anything before. She didn't want this awkwardness, the weird silence that hung in the air.

Mac cleared his throat before he spoke.

"Lindsay, I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"No one did. I wish this wasn't the way it had to come out."

"Alright," Mac said, "Well now we know who we are dealing with. Flack, I want you to find any information you can on Natalie's whereabouts. Danny, I want you to help Hawkes and find information on Jake Hilpton. I'll call Stella and we'll go back to the hotel. Lindsay," Mac's voice changed to a more sympathetic tone. "go to the break room and get some coffee. I don't want you leaving the lab right now."

Lindsay absently nodded. The weight of the situation was sitting full on her shoulders. She could feel tears of anger welling up in her eyes. She refused to cry.

"Natalie was going to school in Bloomington, Indiana. She was taking the semester off. I'll give you her address," she said to Flack. She quickly scribbled down the address and handed it to him, barely meeting his eyes. Flack silently nodded, and headed out with Mac. Danny hung back as they left.

There were many things he wanted to say to her, but how? She had just dropped this bomb on them and he wanted to comfort her, to be there for her. But he just didn't know how.

"Is there anything I can get ya?" Danny asked as he ran his hand through his hair.

Lindsay looked up and their eyes met. She smiled weakly, and shook her head in silence.

Knowing that she wanted to be alone, he nodded and turned to leave.

"Just call, if you think of anything," He smiled, and left the room.

* * *

He felt like he was spying on her past. He felt as if he was an intruder reading over what had happened. Looking at her, you would have never known. She was tough, but had a sweet side to her. That was what Danny liked about her. When she had first come to New York, he teased her, but she held her own. He flirted here and there, but she knew how to handle him. After working together for a few months, they had become pretty good friends. They would go out for drinks sometimes, and even to dinner. They had never really talked about the past. He himself had some skeletons in his closet, but he never imagined she would. He had asked once why she came to New York. He noticed the tone of her voice changed, and she merely answered that she was in need of new scenery. He had never asked her again. 

Had she come to New York to escape him? He had never really seen Lindsay afraid. But today, in the lab, he did for the first time. She had tried to hide it, but he could tell.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his cell. Mac was back at the lab and wanted to hear Danny's findings.

* * *

Danny was the last to arrive in the room. Everyone was there- except Lindsay. 

"Alright," Mac said. "Flack, any information on Natalie?"

"Called her apartment, no answer, which I was expecting, since she lives alone. According to the airline, she never made it to her flight. I talked with Bloomington P.D., they sent officers to her place. No signs of forced entry, but some kind of struggle happened in there. A towel bar was busted, and there were traces of chloroform on the floor. Her purse and cell were missing. The police chief down there is going to give us full co-operation with this one, Mac. They're sending crime scene photos and interviews. They're on their way as we speak."

"Ok, Stella and I went back to the hotel, and found nothing of use. We interviewed neighbouring rooms. They never saw or heard anything from the room. Front desk says that Mr. Silverton checked in at 1:30 pm three days ago. He had the "Do Not Disturb" sign up the entire time. We have surveillance videos to go through. Hopefully we'll be able to get something. Did you find anything useful from the alley Hawkes?"

"Vic was killed by a knife wound to the abdomen. He bled out, but not there. There was minimal blood found at the scene."

"And with no blood in the hotel room, we have yet to find where the murder took place." Stella added.

"I did, however, find some skid marks in the alley. They could have been left by someone else, but it's worth looking into. Since it was a dump job, he must own a vehicle of some kind." Hawkes added.

"Danny, tell us about Jake."

"This guy is one sick bastard, Mac. He was charged with the murders of Tom and Hannah Monroe. And this is where it gets worse…" Danny could barely bring himself to say it because it made him so angry. It wasn't just some stranger he was talking about. It was his friend. Danny sighed.

"He was also charged with the attempted murder of Lindsay and her sister. Turns out he came back to the house to find them still upstairs. According to his testimony, he thought they belonged to him, that he should be with them, not her parents. A neighbour was in their yard when her heard them screaming, called the cops. He was sentenced to life, no chance of parole. He escaped 8 months ago, and they've been looking for him ever since."

"So, we have very little to work with. But I want this case to be first priority, no exceptions." Mac said. Everyone nodded. They hadn't even thought about looking at another case, not when one of their own was in trouble.

* * *

Lindsay had gone to the break room, as Mac had said. She still had to wrap her head around the situation. She couldn't believe he had found them. 

It wasn't as if they had tried hard to stay hidden, she admitted to herself. A simple change of address won't do. But she didn't want to live her life in fear.

He wasn't the whole reason she had some to New York. She had put in for a transfer long before that. She had offers from other places, but none felt right. When she was offered the position in New York and it just seemed right. And then she got the news, which provided that extra push for her to go.

Natalie was a lot like Lindsay. She wasn't as book smart or hard working, but she was just as tough. She had always been a more independent type person. She moved around so much, Lindsay had hoped he would never catch up with her. She had been heading off to Europe anyway, and Lindsay knew she would be safe there.

She couldn't help but worry; she was a big sister after all. Natalie had always teased her about it. Even though they would fight all the time, they were great friends.

Lindsay had only told Danny about Natalie. He was the only one that had asked. She never mentioned her parents though. In fact, Natalie was about the only thing from her past that she had ever talked about. She had been asked a few times by co-workers why she moved to New York. 'A change of scenery' would be all she would say. When Danny had asked her, she appreciated it when he dropped the subject. They had been out to dinner, and were having a great time. She had contemplated telling him everything, all her secrets, right then and there. But she didn't. Sure, Danny was her friend, but was she ready to share such a huge thing with him? Talk to him about something she hadn't mentioned in so long?

She had stayed in the break room, drinking her now cold coffee for what seemed like ages. She was completely lost in her head. She eventually snapped out of it, and suddenly felt claustrophobic. Knowing that she couldn't leave stressed her out. She decided to head to the locker room.

On her way, she stopped just short of one of the labs. The team was there, discussing the case. Lindsay was more then peeved that they hadn't come to find her. It was her sister that was out there. It was her that some creep was following. She didn't want to be kept in the dark. She new that she wouldn't be able to officially work the case, but there was no way in hell she was being shut out.

She opened the door to the lab with more force then she had meant. This caused everyone to turn and look at her. The look on her face told how she was feeling.

"Lindsay," Mac said. "I was just about to come find you."

"After the meeting, right? The one where you are discussing my sister, my life?"

"Lindsay, I didn't mean to make you feel-"

Lindsay cut him off. She rarely interrupted Mac, but this time she didn't care.

"No disrespect Mac, but I'm not some random family member of the latest victim. I'm a member of the team, and I know that I can't officially work this case, but I want to be involved every step of the way. I don't want any detail to be left out. This is my sister we are looking for." Her voice went from an angry tone, to a bit softer. "If I don't do something…"

Mac simply nodded. He understood where she was coming from. He had no intention of shutting her out.

"Ok."

And with that, an agreement had been made. No more discussion was needed. Lindsay smiled.

"Thank-you."

Mac went on to brief her on what they had all discussed minutes earlier. She looked over everyone's notes, jotting down ones of her own.

And with that, the search was on.

* * *

Reviews make my day! Hope you liked it! 


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Again, this hasn't been read by anyone else, and I've read it over so many times that I don't notice mistakes anymore I aplogize for any errors!

**Disclaimer**: Everything belongs to CBS, except for a few characters.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Her wrists were burning and itching. Her head was throbbing, with every little noise sounding like a heard of elephants stomping inside her brain. The lone light hanging from the ceiling lit the grungy room she was in. Wherever that was.

She remembered very little of what had happened. She remembered being attacked, and woke up in the back of a van. She thought it was a bad dream when she first saw him. A wave of shock and horror came over her when he first spoke.

The trip had been long. He let her stay conscious for some of it, but most of the time she had been knocked out. When she finally awoke, she was blindfolded. Her hands and legs were tied, so movement of any kind was limited.

He would come and give her food and water throughout the day. She had a mangy old mattress to sit on, and there was a sink and toilet to her left. It was like a prison.

She tried to keep contact minimal. When she had first found herself in this room, she screamed for help, but none came. She asked him why he took her, where she was, what he wanted. All he would say is "You'll find out when the time is right."

She had wanted to ask about Lindsay. She knew he would have something planned to get to her. She wondered if she was ok, if he had gotten to her yet. He never mentioned her, so Natalie decided against asking him.

It was about a week into her ordeal when she would finally start getting some answers.

She awoke to find herself tied to a chair. She instantly started moving, trying to get her feet and hands untied.

"Well it's nice to see you are awake, my dear."

She said nothing.

"You missed the fun while you were "out". I made a lovely tape to send to our Lindsay."

She suppressed a gag when he said our. _How dare he?_

"I won't be sending it just yet though. No, not until she finds the pictures."

"What pictures?" she said with disgust. She could only imagine what this sick man had done.

"Well of her, of course. Where do you think I've been when I'm not here with you, darling? I've been watching her. I need to get to know her routine, you know."

He talked as if it was nothing; in fact, he was down right cheery about the whole thing.

"Why." Natalie asked apprehensively. She was scared to know the answer.

"Well you didn't think I would go anywhere without her? No offence to you Natalie, but she always was my favourite."

"Should I be disappointed?" she murmured.

"What was that?" he asked, his demeanour changing.

"What are you going to do?" She quickly changed the subject. She knew she shouldn't make him angry.

"It's an excellent plan really." He said excitedly. "I put the pictures somewhere where the police will find them. They're just of her doing mundane, daily things. Then, after they've found them, I'll send them the video we just made."

"We?"

"Well I had to put you in it silly! You're one of her only weaknesses. I know, I know, telling her I've been following her sounds like a bad idea, but it's more fun this way. Besides, I had planned on just scooping her up like I did you, but she's much tougher, and just plain hard to get to. It's all rather annoying really."

Natalie couldn't believe how easily he was talking about this. It was as if he was planning a surprise party for Lindsay.

"You'll never get to her now, especially if her cop friends are involved." _Honestly_, she thought, _how stupid was he?_

"Well I figured that much, so I've changed my plan a bit. But don't worry, you'll find out what's going to happen soon enough."

He laughed, while Natalie stomach sank. Jake noticed the expression on her face and smiled.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. Not yet, anyway..."

* * *

For the rest of the day, Lindsay busied herself with processing evidence. She was happy Mac had let her help out. If she wasn't, she would have gone crazy, sitting and waiting around.

She was also grateful for the way others were treating her. They were acting like it was any other day. She didn't want to be treated differently, as it would make everyone feel uncomfortable. There were, of course, a few extra "How are you's" and side glances going on. That was to be expected.

Unfortunately, the case was going slow. Jake had left little to no evidence. He was a planner, and was very, very careful. They had processed the crime scenes, the photos and the videos. Nothing useful had shown up yet.

Danny stood outside the lab watching her. He had been working along side her off and on that day. They worked silently side by side. After an initial "How ya doin'?" from himself, they didn't talk. There was a lot he wanted to ask her, questions about her past, questions about her sister. But he most wanted her to just talk. He hated seeing her hurting like this. But he didn't want to push, not yet. If she wanted to talk, she would. So for now, he was content to just be near her.

He had left about an hour ago for a break. They had been working non-stop. Lindsay declined his offer to go with him, insisting she stay there. She was working herself too hard, and everyone knew it.

"She needs a break." Mac said, as if reading Danny's mind. Mac came up to stand beside him.

"Try telling her that." Danny responded. "She needs to get outta the lab, Mac."

"I know. It's not safe at her place. For all we know, this guy could be still be watching, even though we are now aware he's out there."

"No kiddin'. He's toying with us, with her. It's as if it will be more fun now that we know." Danny shook his head and looked at the ground.

"She needs a place to stay." Mac said. Danny knew he was hinting, and he had no problem with it. Mac knew that over the past few months, Lindsay and Danny had become good friends. It was the most logical solution right now.

Danny simply nodded, as did Mac. Mac patted Danny on the shoulder.

"I don't want to see either of you until tomorrow afternoon. I'll keep you guys posted on any development, no matter how small."

And with that Mac walked back to his office. Danny was going to offer his place anyway. He wouldn't have stopped worrying if she went anywhere else. He wanted to be the one to protect her.

Lindsay didn't look up when the door to the lab opened. She knew who was there. She had noticed him watching her. Instead of making her feel uneasy, it somehow made her feel safe.

"How's it coming along?"

"Slowly." Lindsay let out a long sigh. She was looking over stills from the video they she had received, trying to find any clue as to where it was shot.

"I think you deserve a break," Danny said. "You've barely eaten anything today, have you?"

As if on cue, her stomach made a low, rumbling sound. Danny let out a small laugh.

"Come on, I think you need to get out of the lab. Why don't we go grab some take-out?"

Lindsay looked up at him. She knew he was right. She wasn't getting anywhere with these pictures, and had only been snacking that day. But she didn't feel right leaving the lab, not when her sister was still out there.

Danny was reading her like a book. His voice softened as he spoke.

"I know you want to stay here, but you know as well as I do that neither of us are of any good without food and sleep." He stepped closer to her. "And you shouldn't be on your own now, it's not safe. Why don't you come stay at my place, get a good nights sleep. Mac said he'd keep us posted."

Lindsay sighed.

"I know, you're right." She looked back at the stills one last time, then took off her lab coat. She turned to Danny and smiled.

"Alright Messer, what are you in the mood for?"

* * *

Lindsay stood in front of the door to her apartment. She had suddenly become very nervous. She knew that once she stepped inside, she would be faced with pictures and memories of Natalie.

Danny had insisted on opening it for her. Officers had been sent here earlier to check on it, just in case. They had found nothing, but Danny didn't want to take any chances. After a quick walk through, he too found nothing out of the ordinary.

Lindsay quickly walked to her room and grabbed her things. She had no idea how long she would be staying, so she just threw in random clothes.

Danny was looking at the photos she had in her living room. He noticed many of Lindsay and Natalie, but also of her parents. There was one of a young Lindsay and Natalie on a tire swing. He smiled.

"About 20 seconds after that picture was taken, I fell off and took a good chunk out of my knee. That was the last time I ever got on that thing." She laughed as she remembered. Natalie had spun the tire, and off Lindsay went.

"I was more of a regular swing guy. Always trying to go all the way over."

Lindsay laughed. Danny always knew how to make her smile.

"Well, I've got everything I need." She said, holding up her bags.

"Good, let's hit the road."

* * *

"So, what did ya have in mind for dinner? I have a wide array of take-out menus to choose from." Danny said as they arrived at his apartment.

"I could go for a pizza, I guess."

"Pizza it is."

While Danny was ordering, Lindsay took in her surroundings. Even though they had become closer over the past while, they had never been to each others apartments. The thought of inviting him over had crossed her mind a dozen times, but she never asked. And she wasn't entirely sure why.

"And the verdict?" Danny asked, hanging up the phone.

"I'm impressed. It's very…you."

"I hope that's a good thing." Danny laughed.

"Oh don't worry, it is." Lindsay said, sitting on his couch.

Danny sat down next to her. A comfortable silence filled the air between them. Even with so much to talk about, neither could bring themselves to start.

"Thanks for letting me stay here Danny," Lindsay said after awhile.

"Not a problem. I just wish the first time you stayed at my place would be for a different reason." Danny said. He instantly closed his eyes when he realized what he had implied. He let out a nervous laugh, for it was true. There were many times he had thought of Lindsay staying at his place, but they were definitely not like this.

Lindsay laughed. Had she heard him right? She wasn't going to lie; she had always wondered what it would be like- her and Danny. But the question was, had he?

The sound of the buzzer provided relief from the awkwardness of the moment.

"That was quick." Lindsay said.

"Well, it helps when you know the owner."

"I see. So if I want pizza quick, all I have to do is mention the Messer name?" Lindsay joked.

"Depends on the place, instead of quick service, you might get an extra topping…and not the kind you want." Danny answered, laughing.

After finishing their dinner, Lindsay tried to suppress a yawn. Danny, however, couldn't be fooled. He knew how tired he was, and knew that Lindsay would be feeling a lot worse.

"Alight, time for you to get some sleep," he said, getting up off the couch. "You're taking my bed, I'll crash on the couch."

"Danny, you don't have to do that, the couch is fine."

"For me, yes. You, no. You've had a crazy day, you deserve to sleep in a bed." He held out his hand to help her get off the couch. "And I'm not taking no for an answer."

Lindsay smiled, and took his hand. She was surprised though, when he held on to it, and guided her to his room, scooping up her bag with his other hand. He let go of it when they entered the room. He turned on the beside lamp, and began turning down the covers.

Lindsay was impressed by how sweet and caring he was being. She was thankful for it too.

"The bathroom is right across the hall. Um, there's an extra blanket in the closet it ya need one…" Danny was babbling and he knew it. He just wasn't sure how to end this conversation. He couldn't remember a time when he had a girl in his room, and he wouldn't be staying with her. And he couldn't remember a time when he had wanted to so bad.

Lindsay walked over to him. She put her hand on his arm, and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks."

Danny nodded. He grabbed a pillow, and left, quietly shutting the door behind him. In the hall, he let out a long breath, realizing he had been holding it since the moment she touched him.

* * *

Reviews rock hint, hint lol. 


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the reviews everyone! It's great to hear what you guys think. I'm just posting one chapter today and it's a short one. But, you get a lot of info in it. Hope you enjoy :)

**A/N:** All mistakes are mine! I hope everything makes sense too  
**Disclaimer:** CBS owns it all, but Natalie and Jake are all mine.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Lindsay looked at the clock for the millionth time that night. She couldn't sleep. Her mind was all over the place.

It wasn't that the bed wasn't comfortable. In fact, it was like heaven. She wondered what it would be like having him beside her. Would she be able to sleep better? How many girls had he had in here before? "_No, I don't want to know, stop thinking about that_". She told herself.

She rolled over and inhaled. She could smell him on the pillow. She had noticed almost immediately the first time she met him how he smelled. Men's cologne was always nice, but on him, it was all the more enticing. It was crazy, she knew it, but the smell comforted her.

She sighed. She should not be having these thoughts. He was her friend, her co-worker and she just happened to be sleeping in his bed. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. She slowly lifted the covers back and slowly got out of bed and made her way to the kitchen.

As she passed the living room, she looked in. Danny was passed out on his back, with one arm over his stomach and the other on the floor. She tried not to giggle, as he looked too cute for words.

She opened the fridge quietly, and pulled out a bottle of water and headed out to the living room. She sat down in the chair close to the window. She looked out over the city. It looked so quiet and peaceful.

She wondered what Natalie was doing right now, how she was, if she was hurt. Was she even still alive? She shook her head, as if to banish the thought out of her mind. She knew it was a possibility, but refused to let that thought hold her down. She had to keep positive. It's what Natalie would have wanted.

"Penny for you thoughts?"

Danny's voice startled her from her trance. She looked over at him to see him sitting up, staring at her. She smiled, then turned back to the window.

"Make it a quarter, then we'll talk."

Danny let out a low laugh. Even in the worst situation, she still kept her sense of humour. He got up off the couch, and went to sit on the windowsill. He noticed the bags under her eyes that were being lit up by the glow of the city lights. His heart sank.

"When we were younger, after it happened, she always made fun of me when I worried. She said I was acting too old." Lindsay remembered, smiling at the memory of her sister. "When she stayed out past 12 one time when she was 15, I stayed up waiting for her. We had a huge fight, with the usual names being thrown around; I was always too uptight, she was too flighty. Looking back now, I realize I might have been too hard on her sometimes. We just dealt with things differently I guess."

Danny stayed silent. He didn't want to push, and was happy that she was finally opening up.

"I was constantly asking why. Why had he done it, why didn't they fight back more, why didn't we call for help? I had a hard time accepting that it had happened. I eventually did, and realized that I wanted to help. That's why I became a CSI. I wanted to help people like me, help them get any kind of closure. Natalie, on the other hand, saw what happened as a sign that life is short and that she should live it to the fullest. That's why she was always trying new things, doing stupid stuff, getting out there. She was never content to just sit around, she always had to be on the move. In a way, I think I was jealous of her."

Lindsay sighed. It had been so long since she had said any of this out loud. But she had to admit that it felt good to get it all off her chest.

"I'm making myself sound like such a tight ass. But I wasn't, I mean, I had fun like any other person. I just became more aware of what the world could be like. After high school, I went off to college. We talked almost every night. Eventually, it became once a week. We were still close, but our lives went in totally different directions. After she graduated from high school, she took a year off. She worked random jobs, saving up all the money she could. She was just itching to get out of Montana. She finally did after a year and a half. She went to Spain and then Portugal. She had the time of her life. She ended up staying and working for a couple months. She came back, and enrolled in university, where she's been for the past couple years. She had been saving up for this backpacking trip since the day she got back. She wasn't going to let school or money hold her back."

"When he escaped, I was first in shock. I then felt an overwhelming sense of terror. As soon as I found out, I of course called Natalie. It was probably the first time in a long, long time I heard any sense of nervousness in her voice. She came out to see me the next day. We talked for a long time about anything and everything. It was the first time we had sat and talked in awhile. We had both become so busy in our lives. After she left, after hearing her stories, I knew that it was time to move on. The fact that a murderer was now on the loose was just added incentive. I had already put in for a transfer awhile before that and nothing had really seemed right. I was considering just staying in Montana, until an offer from Mac came up and I don't know, I just had this feeling that New York was where I should be. It happened at the right time, too."

"We've talked on the phone almost everyday since I got here." Lindsay's voice became weaker, as she could feel the tears she had been holding back coming. She knew there was no stopping them now. "That's why I should've known something was wrong. She called me before she went out with her friends, so she wouldn't bother me at work. But I should've got her to call me anyway, I should've…"

Danny knelt down to her level and took her hands in his.

"You had no way of knowing, none at all. Don't even think for a second that any of this is your fault. None of it."

Lindsay felt the tears beginning to stream down her face. She shook her head "I can't help it, what if-"

"No 'what if's'! You hear me?"

She slowly nodded, and began crying. Danny pulled her to him, manoeuvring himself under her, so that he was now sitting on the chair, with her in his lap.

They sat like this for ages. Danny was slowly rubbing her back, as she rested her head on his shoulder. He waited for her breathing to regulate, then looked down to see she was asleep. Her eyes were visibly puffy. He was glad she finally was able to open up and was happy that it had been to him. When they had talked about their pasts before, he could tell she was holding back. He knew this because he was a pro at the same thing.

Careful not to wake her, he slowly got up to carry her to his room. He knew she needed sleep, but that position would leave them both very sore in the morning.

Placing her on the bed, he moved the covers over her. She stirred, and opened her eyes. She was half asleep, but fully aware of what she was doing. She grabbed his arm and pulled him down next to her, pulling back the covers he had just put over her, so that he could crawl in. He lay on his back, putting his arm behind her head. She nuzzled into his arm, and laid her arm over his stomach.

"Thank-you."

He simply nodded as they both closed their eyes.

* * *

Feedback please! I'd love to hear what you guys thought of the back story! 


	6. Chapter 6

First, a huge **thank-you** to everyone who has reviewed! I'm behind on replying too them, but I just want to let you all know I really appreciate every single one!

**A/N:** As usual, hasn't been edited by anyone other then me And, any science stuff that is included is probably false, since I'm not even going to pretend I know anything on the subject (In fact, science was my _worst_ subject in school)  
**Disclaimer:** You know the drill...

* * *

**Chapter 6**

It was the sound of her phone that first woke him. He got up, careful not to move her too much, as she was still sleeping. He went over to where the noise was coming from, hoping to stop it before it woke her up.

"Messer"

There was silence on the other end. Danny looked back at Lindsay, who had rolled over. He quickly went into the hall.

"Hello?" he said. But there was still no answer.

He closed the phone, checking the screen. "Blocked Number".

He jumped as the phone rang again. The screen still read "Blocked Number".

"Hello?" he could hear breathing on the other end. "Who is this?" He had an idea, but hoped to hell he was wrong.

"I could ask the same question."

He instantly recognized the voice. He had watched the video countless times, and his voice was not one you could easily forget.

"How the hell did you get this number?"

"Do you forget the travel companion I have with me? It took a bit, but I got the number eventually."

"Listen, you bastard…." Danny was pissed. He knew he should maybe try to coax some information out of him, but right now he was angry. How dare he call Lindsay's phone?

"Such harsh words Mr. Messer," he said before Danny could finish. "That won't get you anywhere with this investigation, talking to me like that. I was merely calling to check in on Lindsay, see how she was."

"As long as I'm around, you will never talk to her, ever."

"Don't be so sure. I do have her sister with me. In fact, she's right beside me now, wanting to say hello to our dear Lindsay. But since she's not there, I'll just have to try back later, now won't I?"

Before Danny could say anything, the line went dead. _"Dammit!"_ Danny thought.

He grabbed his phone from the table and called Mac.

"Taylor"

"Mac, it's Danny."

"Danny, how's she doing, is something wrong?" Mac could hear the concern in Danny's voice, and instantly became worried.

"She's fine, she's still sleeping. But, she just received a call from you know who. I answered it before she woke up."

Mac was silent. "How did he get her number?"

"Natalie, he got it out of her somehow."

"We need to get her phone down here to the lab. Did he say anything about calling again?"

"Yeah, but who knows if he will. He must know that we'll be tracing anymore calls coming in."

"Ok, listen, I'll send Stella to pick the phone up. Let Lindsay sleep as long as she can."

"Will do, Mac."

Danny hung up the phone. He rubbed his hand over his face. He was still exhausted. He contemplated whether or not to head back into bed with Lindsay. It felt so comfortable waking up next to her. In the end, he realized that Stella would be here soon, and that he didn't want to risk waking Lindsay up.

Stella came by not too long after. When Danny opened the door, he noticed how tired she looked.

"Late night?" he asked.

"I was at the lab for most of it. How are you? Get any sleep?" she asked, coming into his apartment.

"A bit."

"How's she doing?"

Danny shrugged his shoulders. "As good as can be expected, I guess. She had some trouble sleeping, but she's out right now."

"I'm glad you answered her phone, not her. Waking up to that creeps voice wouldn't be a great start to the day."

Danny nodded in agreement. "Any new information?"

"None as of yet. We're hoping to get something off her phone. Every new lead we get is hitting a dead end. It just makes it that much worse when you know the person involved."

"No kiddin'. Want some coffee? You look beat." Danny offered.

Stella smiled. "I think I'll take it to go, if you have a travel mug. I should really get this to the lab." she said, holding up Lindsay's phone.

"Yep, give me a few minutes, I'll have some premium caffeine headed your way."

"I'm just going to use your bathroom." she said.

"Down the hall."

"Thanks."

Stella walked into the bathroom and looked at her tired face in the mirror. She had only slept for a few hours last night. She was too worried about Lindsay and the case to shut her brain off. She splashed water over her tired eyes, in an attempt to wash away some of her worry. _"If only it were that easy," _she thought.

She turned to leave the bathroom when she noticed the door to Danny's bedroom was ajar. She quietly peered in and smiled. Lindsay was sound asleep, wrapped up in the covers. She looked so peaceful. Danny came up behind her, and extended his hand, in which he had a travel mug full of hot coffee.

"You're a good friend." Stella whispered. "She's lucky you're here for her."

Stella patted him on the shoulder, and headed out. Danny looked back into his room at Lindsay's sleeping form, slowly closing the door.

* * *

Lindsay awoke over an hour after Danny had left. She rolled over to find herself alone in bed. She looked around the room, and then got up to see where Danny had gone.

She found him sleeping in the chair where he had held her last night. An almost untouched mug of coffee sat next to him, now cold. She picked it up, and went into the kitchen to brew another pot.

Never being a light sleeper, Danny awoke almost the minute after she left the living room. He got up to find her in the kitchen. He dreaded what he was going to have to tell her about the phone call.

"Morning." She said, sensing he was behind her.

"Morning. Did you get enough sleep last night?"

"I did, thanks." She turned and handed him a mug of coffee. They stood there silently sipping their drinks.

"Umm, did anyone call with any updates?"

"Ugh, no, nothing yet." Danny answered, immediately breaking eye contact with her.

Lindsay noticed this, and got an uneasy feeling in her stomach. There was something he wasn't telling her.

"What is it Danny?" she asked nervously.

Danny let out a long sigh, and placed his mug on the table, then took Lindsay's from hers. He took her hands in his, the same way he did the night before.

"He called you this morning. I answered, I didn't want it to wake you up."

"What? How did he…"Lindsay dropped Danny's hand in frustration and walked to the other side of the room. She ran her hands through her hair, and stared at the wall. "What did he say?"

"He said he was checking in on you, that your sister was there beside him, that she wanted to talk to you, but before I could get a word in, to say you'd talk to her, he hung up the phone."

Lindsay turned quickly to face him. Danny could see the anger in her eyes.

"You should've woke me up the minute he called! I could've tried to get something out of him, I could've talked to her! What the hell, Danny?"

And with that she left the room, and slammed the bathroom door shut. Danny soon heard the sound of the water running.

"Shit." He whispered. He knew she was going to be angry the minute she found out she could have talked to Natalie. He knew he had to tell her though, he didn't feel right keeping any of it from her. If he could have, he would have kept Jake on the phone longer, so that she could have talked to Natalie. But in the heat of the moment, he was just too angry to think of it. He wanted to keep Lindsay as far away from this jerk as possible, including on the phone. He only wished Lindsay could see it from his point of view.

What Danny didn't know was that Lindsay did. As soon as she got into the bathroom, she regretted snapping at him. He was only trying to protect her. But after hearing that she could've talked to her sister – if Jake was even telling the truth – she was angry. She needed to cool down and think. She turned on the shower, trying to wash away the anger she felt at that moment.

After she was finished, she made her way to Danny's bedroom to get ready. She heard the bathroom door shut and the shower turn on a few minutes later. She made sure she was out of his room before he was done.

She went out to the living room and sat on the couch. She put her elbows on her knees, with her face in her hands. She was so frustrated, angry and confused. She felt helpless at that moment, a feeling that she had hoped she would never have to feel again. This whole situation was draining her.

Danny found her like this after he had got ready for work. He went up to her and sat down on the coffee table in front of her.

"I'm sorry." She said, face still in her hands. "It's just…"

"Hey, don't worry about it. I should've got you up, I know, I just wasn't thinking straight. I wasn't expecting him to up and call you."

Lindsay looked up. "Well, with him, you have to expect the unexpected."

Danny nodded. He got up and held out his hand. Lindsay gladly took it and got up off the couch.

"Come on, we'll stop and get some coffee before we head to the lab."

* * *

Hawkes looked away from the computer screen that he had been staring at for what seemed like forever. After going home for a quick break, he was back to work as soon as he could be. Everyone had done the same thing. Having a case hit so close to the lab was a rare occurrence, and it was one they all dreaded.

After analyzing the tire tracks, Hawkes was able to narrow the search down to the vehicle they were looking for. They were looking for a blue 2002 GMC Safari Van. He was now searching to see if any missing vehicles had been reported in the New York area. He knew it was a long shot, since Jake was coming from Indiana, but he could have taken another van. Their contacts in Bloomington were doing the same, and he hoped someone would come up with an answer.

Mac had taken over the video stills and photos Lindsay had been processing. There wasn't much to work with, but having a second person look always helped. After watching the survelience videos from the Beatrice hotel, they had so far only found out that Mr. Silverton left a few hours after checking in and never returned. A suspicious man, who could very well be Jake, was later seen coming into the hotel, only staying for a short time.

Stella had been using Lindsay's phone to try and find out where the call had come from this morning. She was still holding out hope that he would call again, so she could put a proper trace on it.

Even with such little evidence, the team was keeping positive. They knew how hard it must be for Lindsay, and the last thing she needed was her co-workers solemnly searching for answers.

When they arrived at the lab, Lindsay went straight to Mac.

"How are you this morning?" Mac asked. Lindsay stood behind him, eyes glued to the screen. A wave of sadness washed over her face, but she was quick to cover it, putting on a weak smile as she looked away. _"Keep positive."_ she thought.

"Ok. Anything new?"

"Not yet." Mac sighed. "I wish I had better news."

"Yeah, me too." Lindsay said quietly. "Stella didn't get anything off the phone?"

"She's still working on it, but the chances…"

"Are slim, I know. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll call again."

"Maybe." Mac nodded.

Lindsay left to go find Stella, who she found in one of the labs. She was staring blankly at the computer screen.

"No luck?" Lindsay said, startling Stella, who jumped.

"You scared me," Stella laughed lightly. "And to answer your question, it's both good and bad. I can't pinpoint the exact number, but I have a general area of where he might be. Unfortunately, the area is huge. We'll need to narrow it down somehow."

"And I might be able to help with that." Said Hawkes, who came in the room, holding a folder. "We're looking for a blue 2002 GMC Safari van, with three possible license plates. Our contacts in Indiana had these three vans reported stolen within a week of Natalie's disappearance. Their tires all match the tracks I found at the scene. It's a long shot, I know, but at least it's something."

Lindsay smiled. She knew what the odds were that they would find one of these vans, if he had even stolen it in the first place. He could have switched vehicles already too, or the tire tracks could have come from a completely different type of car. But, it was something.

"I'll let Mac know, and we'll get officers out there looking. Nice job Hawkes." Stella said. She got up and headed out of the room.

"Thanks Sheldon."

"Anything I can do. I know you are probably sick of this question, but how are you doing?"

"As best as can be expected, I guess." Lindsay sighed. "Getting out of the lab for a bit helped, but it felt kind of wrong not being here, like I was going to miss something, you know?"

Hawkes nodded. "You know that all of us are here for you. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"I appreciate it." Lindsay replied. As they were talking, Danny came in with a distressed look on his face, with his phone to his ear, with both Mac and Stella close behind him. Lindsay all of a sudden had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Yeah, she's right here…" Danny said roughly. He took the phone from his ear and covered the mouthpiece. Behind him, Stella was quickly gathering wires to connect Danny's phone to the computer.

"It's him, isn't it?" Lindsay asked firmly. Danny nodded.

"He wants to talk to you, try to keep him on as long as you can."

Just before Lindsay took the phone, Stella finished attaching the wires and was quickly on the computer.

"Hello?"

There was silence. She became worried he may have hung up, as it had taken her a bit to get the phone.

"Well, well, well. It's so nice to hear your voice again sweetheart."

Lindsay cringed at the nickname. It disgusted her and made her angry.

"Never thought I'd be hearing from you again."

"Oh, never say never, you know that Lindsay."

"Where is Natalie?"

"Now I'm not going to tell you that, not yet anyway. I'm not that stupid."

"Well, I try not to give people like you too much credit. After all, it is my job to find mistakes, and you are bound to make one eventually."

"So curt, you are. Aren't you worried I'll hang up if you keep talking to me that way?"

Lindsay took in a deep breath. She realized she was loosing her cool.

"You're right. Now why did you call?"

"I wanted to see how you were! I noticed that you didn't stay at home last night. In fact, you were staying at Mr. Messer's house, isn't that correct? I was a bit worried, since I don't trust him."

Lindsay scoffed.

"And what do you know about trust?"

"Oh, plenty."

Lindsay stayed silent, as she wasn't sure how to respond. She looked over at Stella, who was quickly typing.

"Almost got him!" she whispered.

"Are you still there?" his voice asked.

"Yes."

"Good, good. Now, you're probably still wondering why I'm calling."

"Just tell me if she's ok." Lindsay was visibly starting to get frustrated. She closed her eyes tight, and when she opened them, she locked eyes with Danny. He nodded encouragingly.

"You've always been so concerned with your sister, haven't you? As I said before, she is your weakness. You should never let your weaknesses be known, Lindsay. It's how people can manipulate you, control you." He said, almost as if it was a threat.

"Love isn't a weakness. In fact, I believe it can make you stronger." Lindsay said firmly.

"Unless it clouds your judgement, isn't that correct?"

And with that, the line went dead. Lindsay took the phone from her ear and flipped it shut. Everyone simultaneously looked over at Stella.

"Give me a sec…" she said as she typed quickly.

Mac and Hawkes moved closer the computer. Danny hung back with Lindsay. She handed him his phone. He put his hand on her arm.

"You did good."

"Let's hope I kept him on long enough."

They both turned to the computer, anxiously waiting. Mac tilted him head to look back at them. He noticed that Danny now had his hand on the small of Lindsay's back. He smiled.

"Did he say anything that might be useful, Lindsay?" Mac asked.

"Um, he's still following me. He knew I stayed at Danny's last night." Lindsay answered. "Wait, how did he get your number?"

"No clue, it's unlisted." said Danny

"Got him!"

Everyone turned back to Stella, who had a triumphant smile on her face.

"He's in Queens." Mac said.

* * *

Reviews, pretty please! With a cherry on top! There are a few more chapters to go, I'll have the next one posted soon (tonight or tomorrow morning) 


	7. Chapter 7

Again, thanks for all the reviews! We're entering the final chapters, hope you all enjoy :)

**A/N:** I just want to clear up one thing about the last chapter: when Mac says "He's in Queens", there was an actually address on screen, I just couldn't think of one, so Mac said the general area. :P Oh, and still no beta, so there are probably mistakes. Sorry!

**Disclaimer**: CBS owns almost all of it…

* * *

**Chapter 7**

They approached the building with their guns drawn. Mac, Flack and Danny were all there. Stella and Hawkes had stayed behind with Lindsay, to keep her company. Lindsay had wanted to go, but she knew that it was out of the question.

With other uniformed officers, they slowly climbed the stairs. The building was an old, abandoned apartment building. It was scheduled for demolition in the upcoming months. It was the perfect hideaway. They checked each room, but found nothing. They got to the top, and had only one door left. The door was ajar. Mac slowly approached, and opened it.

Mac entered, searching the living room. Flack and Danny came in behind, each separating to go to a different room.

"Clear." Flack yelled.

"Empty here too." Danny said.

They all looked around the living area. There was a chair in the middle of the room, with a box on it. On top, there was a small envelope with writing on it.

**_Lindsay Monroe_**

Mac carefully examined the box, as he had with the first package. He then picked the envelope up, and opened it.

_Lindsay,  
You wanted to know if she was ok. Here's your proof._

Mac passed the note to Danny, who quickly read it, then passed it on to the others.

Mac took the top off the box. Inside was a digital camera. He turned it on, and clicked on "view".

There were several pictures. First, there was Natalie and her friends. Next came shots of her tied to the chair, blindfolded, like she had been in the video. There was one with her holding a newspaper. Mac zoomed in, and saw that it read today's date.

Danny had been looking over Mac's shoulder to see the photos.

"He had this planned." He said. "He called her, knowing we'd trace his call. Son of a bitch."

"He's toying with us." Flack said. "And he's doing a damn good job."

* * *

Lindsay looked at the pictures as they were all spread out over the screen. The first batch made her smile. And the next ones broke her heart.

The date on the pictures showed that the first ones were from the night she was taken. She had been so happy. The next were taken a few days ago, the same time the video was filmed. The last one was of her today.

_"She's alive."_ Lindsay thought. The fact that he was making a game out of this made her even more determined to catch him.

Danny came in the room with two cups of coffee in his hands. He passed one to her, then stood next to her, looking up at the screen.

"She looks a lot like you."

Lindsay smiled.

"We both look a lot like my Mom. We got my Dad's nose, but everything else is from her."

Danny looked at Lindsay. Over the past day, he had learned so much about her. She had opened up to him and let him in on her past and all the things that had been haunting her for so long. He felt touched that it was him she was doing this too.

Danny looked back up at the screen, and they stayed next to each other in silence. Both were studying the photos, each hoping that they would find something useful.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by slowly. Lindsay hated sitting around, waiting for something to happen. It was the worst kind of feeling.

She occupied her time by doing any paperwork she could. The others were busy following leads and processing what little evidence they had found. Nothing was turning up, and everyone was getting frustrated.

Well into the night, Danny went on a search for Lindsay. She wasn't at her desk, or in the locker room. He found her asleep in the break room, with a cup of coffee and papers surrounding her.

He went up to her and started to tidy up the papers, and throw away her coffee. He gently put a hand on her back, and lightly shook her awake.

"I'm up, not sleeping." She said, startled. She looked around the room and realized where she was. She wiped her eyes with her hands.

"Morning sunshine." Danny laughed.

Lindsay glared, but couldn't hold it for very long. She smiled.

"How long have I been out?"

"No clue. I noticed you weren't at your desk and came to find you."

Lindsay yawned. She was still exhausted.

"Come on, I'll take you back to my place again for the night. If you can stay awake that long." He winked.

She smacked his stomach.

"Very funny. Just let me go check in with Mac before I go."

"I'll meet ya in the locker room."

A bit later and they were heading back to Danny's. Lindsay had fallen asleep in the car on the way over. Once they got there, she was in Danny's arms before she could protest.

"You know I have legs, right?"

"I've carried you once, why not do it again?"

"But this time there won't be drinks or dinner, since you're doing this all on your own."

"Oh, that hurt Montana." He laughed. "What if I buy?"

Lindsay pretended to think for a moment, as she rested her head on Danny's shoulder. Yawning, she answered, "Well, I guess I can't turn that down."

As they approached Danny's apartment, he put her down. But, he still kept an arm around her. As they entered the apartment, Lindsay slipped and started to fall backward. Danny caught her before she fell to the floor.

"Woah, easy there. How tired are you?"

"Very funny. I slipped on…" she bent down and picked up an orange envelope. "This."

Both their smiles faded as they realized who it was from. Lindsay slowly opened it, and pulled out a letter.

**_Lindsay, _**

Meet me at the warehouse marked on the enclosed map, at 5:30 am. Come alone.

Lindsay looked up at Danny. She took out her cell and called Mac, as her and Danny headed back out the door to the lab they had just left.

Lindsay was now wide awake.

* * *

They had all gathered in Mac's office. They had to make a plan, to decide how they were going to do it.

"If he sees anyone else, there's no telling what he will do."

"But Mac, he knows that I won't be there alone. He's going to be expecting that I'll have back-up."

"Then why bother writing that on the note?" Stella mused.

"He must want me in the building alone…"

"No way," Danny shook his head. "You are not going in alone."

Lindsay turned to look at him.

"Yes, Danny, I am."

Danny was about to continue, but Mac cut him off.

"She's right Danny. We don't know if he'll have Natalie or not. And if he sees another one of us in there, there could be consequences."

"_Could_ be consequences? Mac, you're sending her into a building with a psycho!" Danny said.

"He's not sending me in. I'm choosing to go."

"She'll be wearing a wire of course, and we'll be outside listening. We'll have a safe word. The moment you feel threatened, we're in." Mac said to Lindsay.

Lindsay nodded.

"Ok, now I'm going to make the arrangements. We head out in hour."

They all left the office. Lindsay headed straight to the locker room, and Danny was right behind her.

"You're crazy." He said as they entered. Lindsay headed straight to her locker. She wasn't going here for anything in particular, but after she left Mac's office she needed a place to breathe.

"Excuse me?"

"You can't go in there alone! This guy kidnapped your sister. Who knows if he'll be armed, or if this is all another part to his game!"

"You think I don't know that?"

"You sure aren't acting like you do."

Lindsay stopped and turned to face him.

"He has _my_ sister, and this might be the only way to find out where she is! Me going in there on my own is the only option we have right now!"

Danny knew she was right, but he was worried. He didn't want her to get hurt, and the odds were pointing towards it. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, but it's also the worst." He said quietly.

Lindsay closed her eyes.

"I'll be wearing a wire."

"A wire can't stop a bullet."

Lindsay moved closer to Danny. He looked down to the ground, suddenly unable to meet her eyes.

"He doesn't want me dead. He has a twisted fantasy that Natalie and I are his."

Danny looked up.

"Doesn't make me worry any less."

Lindsay smiled, and felt a small blush rise to her cheeks. His concern was touching, and she wasn't sure what to say. They had become so much closer over the past couple days. It was funny how something like this could come out of such a bad situation.

She moved closer, and put her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. He put his arms around her waist and held her close. She buried her head in his shoulder.

"I'm scared."

He rubbed her back and pulled away, so that her face was close to his.

"Me too," he quietly replied. "But I'll be outside the whole time."

She nodded. Her face was now inches from his and she could feel his breath on her face.

The door to the locker room swung open and they both pulled apart. A lab tech walked by them, not noticing the two embarrassed CSI's.

"I should go get ready, you know, the wire and stuff." Lindsay said, flustered. She suddenly had a great sense of dislike for the person who walked through the door.

"Yeah, I have to, uh, get Mac to catch me up on the plan."

Lindsay quickly passed by him. Danny smiled a bit. They had been so close, and he liked the effect he had on her. But then again, she wasn't the only who was having problems getting their words out at that moment.

* * *

Lindsay was sitting in the back of a van, nervous as hell. Danny and Mac were there with her. Stella, Flack and Hawkes were all in other cars. The building was in located amongst many others. It provided many places for the unmarked police vehicles to sit, hopefully going unnoticed.

"Alright," said Mac, looking down at his watch. "It's almost time. Now remember, the second you feel threatened, say the safe word. This isn't a time to act brave. He's dangerous, and he's going to try and manipulate you."

"I know. I'm ready Mac, don't worry."

Mac smiled. He nodded, and moved to the front of the van, leaving Danny and Lindsay alone. He knew Danny would want to say something to her, so he let them have as much privacy as possible.

Danny moved to sit across from Lindsay. There was so much that they both wanted to say. The situation she was going into could easily turn out to be fatal.

Danny grabbed her hands and held them in hers. He gave her a smile.

"Be careful in there Lindsay."

He called her Lindsay. She suddenly realized that he rarely ever used her first name. It was always 'Monroe' or 'Montana'. The latter was a name she was beginning to become quite fond of.

"Don't worry Danny, I will. I promise."

"Alright Lindsay." Said Mac from the front. "It's time."

* * *

Reviews please! The next chapter will be up tomorrow:D 


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks again for all the awesome reviews!

**Disclaimer**: Same as before…  
**A/N**: No beta, so there are probably mistakes. I hope that this chapter flows as well as I had wanted. I've read it over so many times that I just don't know anymore. There is one more chapter to go, and I have no idea when I'll post it. I'm having issues finishing it.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

The building smelt of mold, and most of it looked as if it had been untouched for years. Dust was heavy in the air, but Lindsay didn't notice, as she was holding her breath. It was dark, except for rays of the rising sun that were peaking through the broken windows.

She looked around at the almost bare room. There a few beams holding up the floor above, but most walls had been knocked down. She moved forward slowly, keeping her eyes open and ears alert.

She passed the first room. Nothing. Same with the second.As she rounded the corner to the next room, she heard a noise and stopped. She heard it again.

"Hello my dear."

He was behind her in the next room. She didn't turn around immediately. She let out a breath and closed her eyes. She needed to stay strong. She slowly turned around and came face to face with the man she had tried so hard to forget.

He stood about 30 feet from her, a cocky grin on his face. He held up his hands, to show he had no weapon. He nodded to her, indicating she do the same.

"I trust you came alone?"

"Do you see anyone else here?" she said confidently.

"Just because they are out of sight, doesn't mean they're not close by."

"I'm alone, just like you said." She replied. "Now why am I here? Where's Natalie?"

"Well, you get right to it, now don't you?" he laughed. "Natalie is not here."

Lindsay heart sank. She knew that him bringing her here was a long shot.

"Then why am I here? What do you think you can accomplish bringing me to an empty building?"

"I have my reasons. And I knew this was the only way I could get you alone- or as alone as possible. That Messer fellow, does he ever leave your side?"

Lindsay ignored his comment. "What do you want from me?" she asked as calmly as possible.

"Well, I want you."

"So you think I'm going to just calmly walk out of here with you?"

"Calmly? No, but you see, if you don't come with me now, you'll never see your sister again."

Lindsay didn't know what to say. She knew her options. She could leave with him and see her sister- if she was even still alive. But that, of course, would just be stupid.

Jake smiled. He knew she was at a brick wall.

"So Lindsay, what will it be? You really are in a bit of a pickle, aren't you? You could leave with me now, which you know is the only way to see Natalie. But will your friends, who are probably listening to us right now, let you go?"

Outside, Mac and Danny exchanged looks. He knew she was wearing a wire, and they didn't like where this conversation was going.

"I'll go with you."

Danny furrowed his brow. _"What is she doing?"_ he thought.

Jake smiled. He put his finger up to his lip, indicating that Lindsay was not to say a word. He pulled out a gun from behind his back. Lindsay went to open her mouth, but he was quick to hold it up, aiming for her head. He pointed to her arms, and pointed up. Lindsay followed his direction, and now had her hands over her head.

Jake began to walk forward. He used his free hand to pull out duct tape. He tore a piece off with his mouth, and used his free hand to put it over Lindsay's mouth. He twirled his finger, and Lindsay began to turn around. But, before she got all the way, she grabbed his arm and twisted it. He yelled out in pain, but maintained a hold on the gun.

"Get in there, now!" Mac yelled, after they heard the yell. They all came out of their vehicles and ran towards the building, guns drawn.

Inside, Lindsay still had her grip on his arm. She pushed back into him and they roughly hit the wall. Jake used his free arm and put it around Lindsay's neck. She pushed back again and then again until his grip weakened. She seized this opportunity to get the gun out of his hand. In one quick move she now had the gun to his head.

"Easy now Lindsay, you know you can't kill me. How will you ever get Natalie back with me dead?"

Lindsay didn't move. She heard people coming in behind her, but she stayed where she was.

"Lindsay!" Danny called as they came in the room. With his gun still in his hands, pointed at Jake, he carefully approached her. "Come on Montana, put the gun down. We got him."

"Montana? He even has a cute, little nickname for you?" Jake said, amused. The fact that there were multiple guns pointed at him didn't seem to faze him.

"You, shut it." Danny yelled. He lowered his gun, as Mac and Flack came around and got Jake. They turned him against the wall, checking for more weapons, then handcuffed him and lead him out.

Danny put his arm gently on Lindsay's shoulder. She slowly lowered the gun, then dropped it to the ground. She took the duct tape off her mouth. She was still staring at the wall where Jake had once been.

"You ok?"

"Yeah." She said as she looked over at him. "It felt good, to over power him. He really wasn't expecting that."

"See? I told you he'd make a mistake eventually. He underestimated you."

Lindsay sighed. It felt good to have got him, but they still didn't know where Natalie was. She turned and started walking out the door, with Danny close behind her.

* * *

She was looking at him from behind the two way mirror. Mac had told her that he was going to try and talk to him first. He didn't want to give Jake the satisfaction of having Lindsay interrogate him right now. 

Lindsay watched as Jake just sat there, making snarky comments to Mac, Stella and Flack. With every question they asked, he would answer with a wry remark.

So far, they had found out that he had been squatting in the empty apartment for most of the time he was in New York. Mr. Silverton had been an innocent victim who Jake had chose him at random. He admitted right away to killing him in the back of his van, then dumping him in the alley. He insisted it was a necessary move. The fact that he showed no remorse showed how twisted he really was. Spending years in jail had obviously not been kind to him.

Lindsay noticed as Mac looked down at his pager. He whispered something to Stella and Flack, and they all quickly left the room. Confused, Lindsay went to find them.

Mac was on his cell outside the interrogation room when Lindsay approached.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Someone claims to have recognized Jake."

"Recognized him where?"

"Not sure yet." Stella answered.

Lindsay tried to not get her hopes up. They had put Jakes photo up on the news and in the newspapers the day before.

"Alright, thank-you." Mac said as he closed his phone. "A tip came in that he was seen at Dellmon hotel last night. Stella, I want you to take Danny and Hawkes with you, and call me the second you find out anything."

Stella nodded, and quickly left. Mac looked over at Lindsay.

"You've been listening, I presume?"

"Yes."

"He has no idea this tip has come in. We can use this to our advantage."

* * *

Stella, Danny and Hawkes arrived at the hotel. It was rundown and old, the perfect place for a sleaze ball like Jake. They approached the front desk to find an unpleasant man waiting. 

"How many?" he asked.

The three exchanged looks. Stella took out her badge, and held it up to the bars that were separating them.

"How about some information?"

"Depends what kind. Whatcha wanna know?"

"Have you seen this man?" Danny asked, as he held up a photo of Jake.

The man looked the photo up and down.

"Hmm, I mighta. What'd he do?"

"Kidnapping, and if you don't start giving straight answers, then…"

"Alright, alright, I don't want any trouble." He said defensively. "He came in and rented a room two nights ago, but never came in 'til last night."

"Did he have anyone with him?" Hawkes asked.

"Nah, just a huge trunk thing and a bag or two."

"What room?"

"213, 2nd floor."

They quickly climbed the stairs. They found the room, which had a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the handle. Danny smirked when he realized they never grabbed a key. He gave a kick, and the door swung open.

* * *

Natalie woke up, feeling weak and groggy. She looked around, realizing she was in a small space, yet again. Her hands were tied behind her back, and her feet tied around her ankles. Her head was aching. 

The last thing she remembered was sitting in a chair. He had made her hold a newspaper. She had got tired of asking him questions, since she would never get a straight answer. But that didn't stop him from talking.

_"We're going on another little trip Natalie." _

"Great," she thought.

"Lindsay is so worried about you. It's a shame, really, that you will probably never see her again."

She heard him pull over the trunk. "Not again," she thought.

"This man she's always with, do you know him?"

When she didn't answer, he continued.

"He's always with her. It's annoying. He might just screw up the plan."

"What plan?" she asked, speaking for the first time.

"Oh, so you are still awake." He joked. "I haven't filled you in on this part, have I? Well, she's going to meet me at an abandoned warehouse, after she finds your camera, of course. By then, we'll be long gone from this place. Once she gets there, it will be the end of not only her, but you."

"You're going to kill her." She stated "You'll never get out of that building alive-"

"Oh, I'll only shoot if I have to! I'm hoping to merely scare her. When I say it's the end for her, I mean figuratively. She'll blame herself for your death, since when – or should I say if – they find you, it will be too late. She'll never be able to live with herself. You and I both know this" he laughed. His voice changed to a more serious tone. "However, if any of her cop friends do happen to stop by, I might be forced to take that matter into my own hands."

"She's smarter then you think. She'll get away and she'll find me."

"No, she won't." he said confidently.

She shuddered at the memory. He had been so confident that it scared her. And right now, she had no idea how long she had been out or where she even was.

She jumped when she heard a bang.

* * *

Inside was a small apartment style room. It was dirty and old, and was obviously used only for short periods of time. In the corner was a trunk. All three looked at each other, all thinking the same thing. _Could Natalie be in there?_

Stella quickly made her way over to it. There were bags piled on top of it and she moved them off and opened the lid. Inside was nothing but a purse, which had Natalie's wallet and phone in it.

"Dammit, I thought…" Stella started. She shook her head. "It does looks big enough to transport someone, right?" she thought out loud, as she took out the purse. Danny and Hawkes nodded, and then began to search the room. They looked in the bathroom, the closet and found nothing.

"Danny, start processing the room. Hawkes and I will start talking to the neighbours." Stella said, as she pulled out her phone. She called Mac to let him know what they had- and hadn't- found.

* * *

Mac put down his phone and looked over at Jake. He made sure to keep his face blank, so that Jake wouldn't know that they had found his hiding place. Mac excused himself and Flack, and they both went out to find Lindsay. 

Lindsay's heart was racing, hoping for good news as she saw the two men approaching.

"They found the hotel room he rented, but not Natalie. They did find a trunk, the one he probably used to transport her, and her purse."

"Ok, so that's almost good news."

"They're questioning neighbours right now, and are going to keep looking."

Lindsay nodded. She knew what she had to do.

"I want to talk to him." She said. "Alone."

Mac nodded.

"We'll be watching from behind the glass."

* * *

Jake smiled as he saw her enter the room. 

"It's nice to see you again."

Lindsay sat down across from him, and closed her hands on the table in front of her.

"I wish I could say the same."

"Now, now, you're just angry because I won't tell you where Natalie is."

"What were you hoping to accomplish through all this?" she asked calmly.

"I wanted to make things right."

"Right?"

"Yes. You see, this is what I wanted to do from the beginning. You belong with me Lindsay."

"And Natalie?"

"Natalie was second best to you, she was always a bit…flaky. You know what I mean, don't you Lindsay? I wanted both of you, but knew that she would be the easy one to get. And, as I said before, since she is your weakness, I knew I could use her to get to you."

"And why not just surprise me? Sneak up on me one day after work? You could have avoided all this." She said, indicating the room around them.

Jake laughed. "You say it as if it would be easy. You're a CSI, Lindsay. I knew that I would never be able to just scoop you up."

"So why follow me? Take my pictures, toy with me?"

"Because, I realized while I was in jail that I would _never_ be able to actually have you to myself. And since it was you and your sister who put me in jail, payback was the next viable option."

"So, you were never actually going to take me, were you?"

"Yes and no. If I had my way, we would all be together, finally. But after all my planning, I realized that the only thing I could really do is to make you suffer. And you have, haven't you? These past few days must have been hell. And right now, sitting across from me. That can't be easy, especially since I am the only one who knows where Natalie is." He looked down at his watch. "Such a shame, that such a pretty girl will have to die, all alone."

* * *

Danny was searching through the cupboards, under the table and the bed, for anything useful. Hawkes came back after a bit, after having no luck with the neighbours. He began looking through a desk drawer, when he found a set of keys. 

"I think I may have something."

Danny got up from the floor and came over.

"Keys."

"For a van, like the one that was reported stolen. I'm going to search outside for it, in case there's anything in there. I'll call if I find anything."

Danny went back to his searching. Stella was still talking to neighbours and he hoped she was having some luck. Danny took out his kit and began dusting for prints.

_Bang._

He stopped, and looked around. Was he hearing things?

_Bang._

He heard it again. He looked over to the corner of the room. There was nothing but a dresser against a wall. He walked over put his ear against it.

_"What the HELL is she doing here? I KNEW you were cheating on me!"_

The neighbours were fighting. Danny shook his head and looked around. His eyes stopped on the dresser, which was sticking out a bit from the wall. He bent down to get a closer look. Something was sticking out from the wall. He got up and pulled the dresser back.

Behind were boards on the wall.

He knocked. _"Hollow"_ he thought.

_Bang._

This time he knew it wasn't the neighbours.

* * *

After Natalie heard the noise, she lay still. She thought she could hear voices, but wasn't sure. She was feeling drowsy again. 

She found herself starting to slip in and out of consciousness. She had been in this tiny space for who knows how long. She was running out of air, and after not eating or drinking enough over this entire ordeal was making her weak.

She awoke again when she heard yelling. And then there was a knock right by her head. She used as much of her strength as she could to kick the wall by her feet.

* * *

It was softer, but he still heard. He knocked again. 

"Natalie?" he yelled. "Natalie, are you in there?"

He got no response and he looked around the room. He needed something to pry the boards off the wall. He went over to the kitchenette and grabbed a knife. He ran back over and used it to pry the boards off the wall. It took a bit of force, but he finally got one to budge. He began to pull with his hands, ignoring the pieces of wood that were cutting into his skin. As he was doing this, Stella came in.

"Danny, what's going…?"

She looked over and saw Danny prying boards off the wall. Once the first one was off, he used his flashlight to look inside. There was Natalie, barely conscious.

"Stel, we got her. Call a medic!"

He continued to pull off the couple remaining boards. He moved them aside and pulled her out onto the floor. Stella came over.

"Where's Hawkes?" she said as she started untying Natalie.

"Uhh, he found keys to a van, he went looking for it." Danny listened to her chest. "She's still breathing."

Stella called Hawkes, telling him to come up as soon as possible. Next, she called Mac.

"Mac! We got her," she said happily. "She's alive, but barely, the medics are on the way."

Hawkes arrived a few minutes before the ambulance. He quickly checked her pulse and opened her eyes, looking at them with his flashlight.

"She's in rough shape. She's weak, who knows if she's eaten lately." He looked over to the cubby hole she had been in. "She must have been running low on air in there."

Danny shook his head. He was happy that he had found her, but he hoped it wasn't too late. The medics arrived to take Natalie. One looked over at Danny.

"Sir, you're bleeding. Let me check it out."

Danny looked at his hands. He hadn't noticed how cut up they were from the wood. He had splinters everywhere.

"Never mind me, just help her."

"Sir, at least come in the ambulance with us, that way you can get checked out at the hospital."

Danny nodded and followed them out. He turned to Stella, who smiled.

"We'll finish up here. Go with her."

* * *

Lindsay looked down as her phone vibrated. She had a text from Mac. 

_Got her._

She kept her expression the same, even though her stomach was full of excitement. They had her. What shape she was in, she didn't know. But they had found her.

"You know what Jake? I'm tired of all the games. You think that you've hurt me and that you are going to keep hurting me. But you're wrong. You remember what I said before, about love not being a weakness? It makes you _strong_, it makes you _brave_. See, love is something that I have and something you never will."

"A nice speech Lindsay, but…"

"I'm not finished. I've put you in jail once, and I can't wait to do it again. And this time, there's no way in hell you'll get out. I'm making sure of it."

Lindsay stood up and headed towards the door. She opened it, and before she left, she made sure she had the last word.

"You're not as smart as you think Jake. We found her."

And she shut the door behind her, leaving Jake gapping at where she exited.

* * *

Reviews please :D I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as I can! 


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry it's taken me so long to update! I was away for the weekend and didn't get a chance to post it here before I left. I'm going to admit that this was the toughest chapter to write. I suck at endings, and that is probably why this chapter (and a few other fics I have on the go) took forever! This is the final chapter, and I want to thank everyone for reviewing! You guys rock! Hope you enjoy...

**Disclaimer:**: As usual…

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Lindsay sat in a chair beside Natalie. She had been sleeping when she arrived and hadn't woken up yet. She was in bad shape when she was brought in. She had been so close to running out of air that she was lucky she wasn't in a coma and she was badly dehydrated. She also had a sprained wrist and there were several cuts and bruises throughout her entire body and a black eye, which looked a day or two old. But, she was going to be ok.

Lindsay had come to the hospital with Mac and Flack as soon as she left the interrogation room, and was told the details before they got there. She went straight to her sister's side when they arrived. The doctor had came and told her of all the injuries Natalie had.

She got up from her chair and went into the hall, where the team was waiting to see her. She didn't want to keep them waiting, since she knew there was a lot of work to be done.

"How's she doing?" Flack asked.

"She'll be ok, thanks. Thank-you to all of you. These past few days have been, well, crazy, and you guys really helped me through it."

"It was no problem, Lindsay." Stella said. She came over and gave her a hug. "Call if you need anything, ok?"

"I will, thanks."

"That goes for me too," said Hawkes.

"You basically have a long list of people who are willing to help out with anything, anytime." Flack joked.

Lindsay laughed lightly. "Thanks guys, I appreciate it."

"I don't want to see you in the lab for a few days. And make sure you don't stay here at the hospital. You need your rest." Mac said. "We'll all be by another time to see how she's doing."

"Thanks Mac."

Everyone started to leave. Everyone but Danny, who had been leaning against the wall behind them. Lindsay looked over at him and then down at his hands. Mac had told her that it was Danny that found Natalie, but never mentioned him getting hurt.

"What happened?" she asked as she moved closer.

Danny looked down at his hands sheepishly, then back up at Lindsay. "It's nothing, just got a few splinters from the boards."

"A few? Danny, you're hands are all bandaged up."

Lindsay took his hands in hers, her eyes pinned on them.

"Thank-you for finding her Danny. If you hadn't, who knows what would have happened." She looked up at him to see him intently staring at her. He moved closer, and kissed her forehead. Lindsay leaned into his shoulder as he put his arms around her and held her close.

"I should get back in there, in case she wakes up." Lindsay said as she pulled away.

"Yeah, I should, uhh, get back to the lab."

"No, you should go home, get some sleep. You look exhausted."

"A cup of coffee and I'll be all good."

Danny kissed her forehead again and put his hand on her shoulder. "I hope that when you do need something, I'm on the top of that long contact list ya got."

"You know it is."

"Good." He said, a smile on his face. He turned and left the hospital.

* * *

Natalie woke up later that night. Her head was throbbing, and the light in her hospital room, although dim, was burning her eyes.

She shifted in her bed and looked around the room. She found Lindsay asleep in a chair, her head in her arms on the hospital bed. Natalie smiled, and tried to sit up, as quietly as possible.

She looked over as the door opened. A man came in with flowers.

"You're up." He said in a thick New York accent.

"Yep." She replied in a whisper. She looked back down at Lindsay, who had moved a bit, but still remained asleep.

"How ya feeling?"

"Like crap, but alive."

He laughed. "Well, that's good to hear." He extended his hand, "Danny Messer, I work with Lindsay."

Natalie took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you." Lindsay had mentioned him before, and Natalie could tell by her voice whenever she talked about him, that he was more then just a co-worker. "So you're the guy who gave her the nickname?"

"That I would be." Danny laughed.

"What happened to your hands?"

"Got a few cuts today, no big deal."

"And I'm guessing I'd be the reason for that? I don't remember much, but I can only imagine where you found me."

"Well, you were well hidden, that's for sure. But if it wasn't for you kicking, who knows when we would have found you."

"Thank-you, for finding me, for helping." Natalie nodded towards a chair beside her bed. "Take a seat."

"Thanks," Danny said as he sat down. He looked over at Lindsay.

"I can only imagine what hell I've put Lindsay through," Natalie said, following his gaze.

"She was strong, or as much as she could be."

"She's always worried about me, sometimes too much. But, I guess this incident proves that she had good reason. " Natalie sighed. "You know, I never thought this was how my first trip to New York would be. I was going to come visit her when I got back from Europe. She really loves it here."

Natalie looked over at Danny, who was still watching Lindsay. He had it bad for her, Natalie could tell. She laughed to herself, causing Danny to look over at her.

"So, when are you going to ask my sister out?"

Danny gaped at her. Had he heard right?

"Don't give me that look, I could tell the minute you walked in here. You like her." Natalie waited for a response, but Danny was speechless. Needless to say, he hadn't been expecting this conversation to come up.

"I'm guessing that Lindsay never told you that I'm more of a 'get to the point' kinda gal. I tend to cut to the chase." She joked.

"No kiddin'" Danny answered.

Lindsay stirred and Danny was thankful to put an end to the awkward conversation.

"I should get going. I just wanted to drop off some flowers, see how you guys were doing."

"Thanks again. For saving me," She said with a big smile. "and the flowers"

"No problem," he said, as he went to the door.

"Oh, Danny," Natalie said, before he left. Danny turned back around. "I know my sister. She won't say no, not to you."

Danny smiled, and left, quietly shutting the door behind him. You could tell the Natalie was Lindsay's sister. They both picked up on the details.

* * *

Natalie was out of the hospital a week later. She was staying with Lindsay for a few more days, before she headed back to school. She figured that since her Europe trip was cancelled, she may as well stay and see the sites in New York.

While in the hospital, Natalie had met Lindsay's other co-workers. She could see why she enjoyed her job so much, as everyone she worked with were very friendly, and some quite good looking. Natalie began joking around with Lindsay, wondering how she got any work done.

Lindsay was glad that her sister's sense of humour was still there. She had initially been worried how this would affect her, but five minutes after Natalie had been awake, she was her old self again, or as much as she could be. It would still take some time to heal, but she was well on her way.

Natalie hadn't told Lindsay about her conversation with Danny. She had, of course, mentioned that he stopped by, but kept the rest to herself. She knew her sister would have been embarrassed if she found out what Natalie had said. Danny stopped by each day to visit, and Natalie told herself that if neither of them made a move before she left, she was locking them in a room until they did.

Lindsay had returned to work once Natalie was released, and was happy to be back. Once she arrived, she was immediately put on a case with Danny. During everything that happened, he had always been there for her. She had opened up to him and found herself falling for him. But after they had found Natalie, things went back to the way they were before, and neither were quite sure why. When he came to visit at the hospital, they would share a few words, but mostly had silent glances doing the communicating for them. Neither was making a move, even though the ball was in both their courts.

After her third day back to work, the case was finally solved. It was late, and Lindsay was in the locker room getting her things. She was exhausted. Danny came in a few minutes later. "Got plans for tonight?" he asked

"Um, no, probably just watch a movie with Natalie."

"Sounds thrilling." He joked.

"Oh, you're so funny Messer."

Lindsay's cell rang. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Nat. Still at work?"

"Just in the locker room, I'm on my way out."

"So, do it yet?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what her sister was referring to. "You need to drop it." She said quietly.

"Is he there right now?"

"None of your business."

"He is, isn't he? Do it now, you're alone aren't you?"

"Nat, please..." Lindsay started.

"Listen Lindsay." Natalie interrupted. "He likes you, you like him. After everything you told me about what happened while I was in trouble, you guys should already be together. Now, make a move already! You do not want me to step…"

"Fine, fine."

"Great, now good luck, even though you don't need it."

Lindsay hung up the phone and smiled.

"Was that Natalie?" Danny asked.

"Um, yeah, it was." She said quietly. She knew Natalie was right. She turned around to face him. "Danny, we need to talk."

Danny turned around and saw Lindsay's serious expression. He nodded.

"We never…I mean, I never really, you know, thanked you, for everything you did for me. You put up with my ramblings, my emotions. It meant a lot to me."

"It was no problem Linds, you know that." Danny replied, moving closer to her. "I'm glad you were able to talk to me." Danny put one of his hands on Lindsay's arm. Lindsay did the same to him.

"I don't know what I would've done without you." she said quietly.

Lindsay put her arms around Danny's neck, pulling him down for a hug. Danny wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close. They both pulled back slightly, faces inches from each other. Danny brought his hand up to cup her face, as they both moved in until their lips met.

It was a slow, gentle kiss, one that both had been aching to share for a long time. Danny pulled back and looked Lindsay in the eyes, smiling.

"You think Natalie would mind if you skipped the movie tonight?"

"I think she could find it in her heart to forgive me." Lindsay laughed.

Danny pulled her into another kiss, this one more passionate then the one before. The moment was perfect, and everything felt right. After everything that had happened, dealing with the past, both were now looking forward to the future.

* * *

This fic was a lot of fun to write, and I'll miss it :P Thanks again for all the reviews! 


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